Peggy thought this rather remarkable, as she remembered the nursery rhyme about the Queen being in her parlour eating bread and honey. She wondered whether Mrs. Emma had any suspicion of the prisoner being the Queen.
Before she could reply Mrs. Emma went on, “I was just saying to my husband that she is very like what Queen Rosebud was, except for her crown. Queen Rosebud had no sisters, but I shouldn’t be at all surprised if she didn’t turn out to be a sort of cousin. If you think that is likely, I shall ask her to write her name in my birthday book.”
Before she could reply Mrs. Emma went on
So she seemed to have no suspicion of the truth; but that seemed to be only because the Queen was not wearing her crown.
“It would be nice to have her name in your book,” said Peggy. “Shall I take up the other tray now?”
“Yes, dear,” said Mrs. Emma. “And then will you please bring the keys down? You have been very kind helping us, but of course we must not forget that you are a prisoner.”
Peggy smiled to herself as she went upstairs again. If she took the keys down, their room would not be locked, and she would hardly be a prisoner. But she did not say anything, as she thought that if the door was left unlocked she might take Wooden or Lady Grace, or both of them, up to see the Queen.
The dolls were interested in what she told them, but they were now quite used to the idea of Queen Rosebud being alive, and showed less excitement at her news than Peggy had expected. While she had been away, they seemed to have been talking about the failure of the plan concocted by Teddy and Colonel Jim, and to have agreed that Teddy had not behaved well in telling Colonel Jim that Mr. Emma would say, “With pleasure,” when he asked him if he could go up to the top story. For Mr. Emma had said quite the opposite.
“I always knew Teddy was flighty,” said Wooden, “but I did not think that he would go so far as to tell a story.”